TNAG-2718-FCO40-3924-Hong-Kong-electoral-provisions-and-arrangements-1993 — Page 120

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MDHIAN 2937

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POPULATION AND CLOSE INFRASTRUCTURAL LINKS. THE MERGED DISTRICT IS TO BE CALLED YAU TSIM MONG: THE NAMES OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS

WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.

5.

THE TIMING FOR TABLING THE ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL ANNOUNCING PARAGRAPH 4 ABOUT IS DICTATED BY LEGCO'S OWN TIME- TABLE. THE LAST SITTING OF THE CURRENT SESSION IS ON 21 JULY.

THIS MEANS THAT THE ORDER SHOULD BE TABLED ON OR BEFORE 23 JUNE IF LEGCO IS TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE SCRUTINY OF THE ORDER

BEFORE IT GOES INTO RECESS. HOWEVER AS THERE IS NO LEGCO SITTING ON EITHER THAT DATE OR 16 JUNE, THE LATEST DATE FOR TABLING THE ORDER HAS TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE LEGCO SITTING ON 9 JUNE.

THIS IN TURN NECESSITATES THE GAZETTING OF THE ORDER ON 4 JUNE (THE LAST FRIDAY BEFORE THE 9 JUNE SITTING).

6.

DURING DISCUSSION AT EXCO, SOME MEMBERS WERE CONCERNED THAT GAZETTING OF THE NUMBER AND NAMES OF THE DISTRICTS ON 4 JUNE

MIGHT BE MISCONSTRUED BY THE CHINESE AS A PRE-EMPTIVE STEP TO IMPLEMENT THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE, THUS CAUSING UNNECESSARY OBSTACLES FOR THE TALKS. THEY HAD ASKED WHETHER THE GAZETTING COULD BE PUT BACK. WE EXPLAINED THE TIMING CONSTRAINTS AD SET

OUT IN PARA. 5 ABOVE. EXCO ACCEPTED OUR EXPLANATION.

7. MEMBERS ALSO DISCUSSED WHETHER THE CHINESE SHOULD BE BRIEFED BEFOREHAND. SOME MEMBERS CONSIDERED THAT WE SHOULD GIVE ADVANCE WARNING TO THE CHINESE IN ORDER TO AVOID POSSIBLE

MISUNDERSTANDING AND A CHINESE BLAST. WE CONSIDERED HOWEVER THAT

A BRIEFING AT THIS STAGE WOULD ONLY DRAW ANOTHER STRONG REACTION

FROM THE CHINESE AND POSSIBLY RENEWED DEMAND FROM THEM THAT WE SHOULD WITHHOLD ACTION, WHICH WOULD CAUSE EVEN MORE DIFFICULTIES. OUR JUDGEMENT, THEREFORE, IS THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD NOT/NOT BE FOREWARNED. EXCO ALSO AGREED THAT WE SHOULD TAKE A LOW-KEY APPROACH IN HANDLING THIS PROCESS AND IN RESPONSE TO ANY POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FROM THE CHINESE SIDE, WE SHOULD EMPHASISE THAT THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE AND WOULD NOT

AFFECT IN ANY WAY THE NUMBER OF DB APPOINTED MEMBERS. THE ORDER WILL BE MADE UNDER THE DB ORDINANCE AND NOT THE BEC ORDINANCE.

THE MERGER HAS IN FACE BEEN IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND MUCH DISCUSSED BY THE COMMUNITY SINCE END OF LAST YEAR. SIR ROBIN HAD ALSO MENTIONED THIS TO THE CHINESE SIDE ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS (PARA. 15 OF PEKING TELNO 753).

8.

WE WILL TELEGRAPH SEPARATELY A FULL LIST OF PUBLIC STEPS THAT

NEED TO BE TAKEN FOLLOWING ENACTMENT OF THE BEC ORDINANCE. THE

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